College Football Week 22 – Ohio State and TCU in 2015?
‘Don’t look so sad, I know it’s over’

Before we take a trip down memory lane, recounting the 2014 season, I must first take a break and consume some undesirable food.

You may remember – and some of you undoubtedly do – College Football Week 3, back on September 8? It was titled “And it’s all over now, Big Ten.” My opening words were as follows:

“After Saturday’s action, I’m convinced that no team from the Big Ten Conference deserves to be selected for the Four-Team Playoff at the end of the season.”

After only two weeks of football, I admit it was a bold and brazen statement to make, but it sure seemed like a safe statement at the time. After all, just two days earlier Ohio State had lost to Virginia Tech, 35-21. Michigan State lost to Oregon, 46-27. Michigan fell to Notre Dame, 31-0.

Two other Big Ten teams lost to non-Power 5 conference teams. Nebraska and Iowa struggled to beat a couple of cream puffs. All on the same day. And just a week earlier, Wisconsin lost to LSU, 28-24.

We knew one of the Power 5 conferences was not going to be represented in the four-team playoff. On September 8, I was convinced it was the Big Ten. Bob Dylan’s “And It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” was swirling through my head. Only I was singing, “It’s All Over Now, Big Ten.”

“But life goes on and this old world will keep on turning”

Yes, I know. It’s never over until the fat lady sings. Well, she sang on December 7 when Ohio State made the playoffs. She sang again on January 1 when the Buckeyes beat Alabama, 42-35. And she sang, yet again, last Monday night as Ohio State won the national championship, beating Oregon, 42-20.

When Ohio State made the playoffs, my friend Steve Klingberg sent me a message, reminding me of what I said on September 8 – “No team from the Big Ten Conference deserves to be selected for the four-team playoff.” Steve always did have a good memory.

Then, on the morning following Ohio State’s win over Oregon, College Football Week 3, with the blaring headline “And it’s all over now, Big Ten,” was sitting in my mail box. My friend Gary Schwartzkopf sent it back to me with the message:

“Tom: you told me many, many years ago that you have to wait until the end to see who the real players are. You can’t count anyone out.”

You’re right Gary. And to paraphrase Bob Dylan again, “Ah, I was so much smarter then; I’m dumber than that now.”

So, to my friend Steve, a Purdue graduate, and to my friend Gary, a diehard Husker fan who was born and raised in Nebraska, and to all you Big Ten fans, I am eating crow. And it tastes awful.

There.

And as the crow flies, let’s travel back to August during the weeks of preseason. Florida State, Alabama, Oregon and Oklahoma were the Top 4 teams in the country in the AP and Coaches Polls. Ohio State was 5th in one poll and 7th in the other. TCU wasn’t even in either poll’s Top 25.

The two hottest seats in the country were in Gainesville, Florida, and Morgantown, West Virginia – Will Muschamp and Dana Holgorsen.

The Princeton Review said that Syracuse, Iowa, UC Santa Barbara and West Virginia were the Top 4 party schools in the country. Florida was 10th and Florida State was 12th.

“Let’s be glad we had some time to spend together”

Oregon’s Marcus Mariota was the top-rated quarterback in the country, Texas A&M named sophomore Kenny Hill its starting quarterback and Florida coach Will Muschamp said the Gators “are more talented on offense than we have ever been since I’ve been at Florida.”

Georgia’s Todd Gurley and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon were the top-rated running backs in the country, while Louisville was about to begin its first season in the ACC and Maryland and Rutgers were about to begin their first season in the Big Ten.

Miami (Florida) named true freshman Brad Kaaya its starting quarterback and West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett revealed that growing up, Nick Saban’s daughter Kristen was the first girl he kissed.

And so the season began.

Week 1 and Texas A&M found its thrill on Kenny Hill. The Aggie quarterback passed for 511 yards, as A&M stunned South Carolina, 52-28. Georgia’s Todd Gurley rushed for 198 yards, as the Dawgs beat Clemson, 45-21.

Debuting in its brand new stadium, Baylor beat SMU, 45-0. Nebraska’s Jordan Westerkamp made an amazing behind-the-back catch, as the Huskers opened with a 55-7 win over Florida Atlantic.

Bootsie and Rockledge Gator got wet watching Auburn beat Arkansas, 45-21, in the rain in Jordan-Hare Stadium. And Swamp Mama rock ‘n’ rolled and partied all night as Kliff Kingsbury’s contract was extended through the 2020 season.

Alabama and Florida State didn’t win as big as expected. The Crimson Tide beat West Virginia, 33-23, in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, while FSU got by Oklahoma State, 37-31, in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Opening Saturday began with breakfast in Dublin where Penn State beat UCF, 26-24, on a game ending field goal. The night finally ended when, after several hours of delay, the Idaho-Florida game in Gainesville was declared a washout – canceled.

Week 2 saw the Big Ten have a disastrous day. However, I don’t think I need to elaborate on that any more than I already have. Not to mention that the crow left a bad taste in my mouth.

“For the good times”

In Palo Alto, during the USC-Stanford game, Trojan athletic director Pat Haden left his seat in the press box and rushed to the sideline where he got into an animated argument with one of the officials. Haden was irate over targeting and unsportsmanlike penalties called against USC. The Trojans beat Stanford, 13-10. Meanwhile, BYU pounded Texas 41-7.

Florida State, Alabama, Oregon and Oklahoma remained the Top 4 teams in the polls. But Ohio State fell to 18th in the Coaches Poll and 22nd in the AP Poll. TCU still was not ranked in either poll.

Week 3 and Florida beat Kentucky for the 28th-straight year, but just barely, 36-30 in three overtimes. West Virginia’s Josh Lambert kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired and the Mountaineers beat Maryland 40-37.

In three surprises, South Carolina beat Georgia, 38-35, East Carolina beat Virginia Tech, 28-21 and Boston College stunned USC, 37-31. In another surprise, SMU fired coach June Jones, after only two games.

After the third overtime in the Kentucky-Florida game, Kris Hansen texted: “I need a Xanax.”

Week 4 saw Touchdown Tom attending his 50th high school reunion in Huntington, West Virginia. Auburn got by Kansas State, 20-14, and Mississippi State surprised LSU, 34-29. Speaking of surprises, Indiana beat Missouri, 31-27.

Without Jameis Winston, Florida State beat Clemson, 23-17, while East Carolina pelted North Carolina, 70-41. Texas quarterback David Ash announced he was giving up football after suffering another concussion, and Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah rushed for 229 yards, as the Huskers beat Miami (Florida), 41-31.

Florida State, Alabama, Oregon and Oklahoma continued to top the polls. Ohio State sat at 20th in the Coaches Poll and 22nd in the AP Poll. TCU still was nowhere to be seen.

Week 5 and Brady Hoke became a dead man walking when Minnesota beat Michigan, 30-14, in Ann Arbor. Arkansas took Texas A&M to overtime before the Aggies finally own 35-28. Tennessee almost upset Georgia in Athens. The Dawgs beat the Vols, 35-32. Todd Gurley rushed for 208 yards.

Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah also rushed for 208 yards, as the Huskers cleaned up on Illinois, 45-14. Air Force stunned Boise State. The Falcons beat the Broncos, 28-14. In Beantown, Colorado State surprised Boston College. The Rams beat the Eagles, 24-21.

Meanwhile, Tennessee Tech coach Watson Brown, brother of Mack Brown, became the first coach in NCAA history to lose 200 games, as Northern Iowa beat Tennessee Tech, 50-7. And Kansas fired Charlie Weis.

“I’ll get along, you’ll find another”

Week 6 saw the State of Mississippi become the capital of college football in the United States. ESPN’s College GameDay was in Oxford for the Alabama-Ole Miss game. The SEC Network’s GameDay was in Starkville for the Texas A&M-Mississippi State game.

In Oxford, Katy Perry appeared with the GameDay gang as the week’s “guest picker.” Before making her picks, she asked Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight to give her a call. It was a great day for Mississippi – Miss State beat Texas A&M, 48-31, and Ole Miss beat Alabama, 23-17.

While Saturday was a good day for the State of Mississippi, it was a bad day for the City of Los Angeles. Utah beat UCLA, 30-28, and Arizona State beat USC, 38-34. Week 6 was a bad week in Ann Arbor and Tallahassee. In Ann Arbor, students and faculty were protesting and demanding the resignation of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon and football coach Brady Hoke.

In Tallahassee, students and faculty were marching and protesting. They were upset with the selection of the new president of Florida State – a sleazy, crooked state politician with no academic credentials.

In other big games, Arizona upset Oregon, 31-24, in Eugene, and TCU beat Oklahoma 37-33. Also, Auburn flattened LSU, 41-7, and Michigan State beat Nebraska, 27-22. In a strange and shocking comment, Johnny Manziel announced he would like to advise and counsel Jameis Winston. Meanwhile, Troy coach Larry Blakeney announced his retirement, effective at the end of the season. Troy was 0-5.

Florida State and Auburn were the Top 2 teams in the country. Ole Miss was 3rd and 4th. Baylor was 3rd in the Coaches poll and Miss State was tied for 3rd with Ole Miss in the AP Poll. Alabama fell to 7th in both polls, and Oregon fell to 11th and 12th. Ohio State was 15th in both polls. TCU was 9th in the AP and 12th in the Coaches.

Week 7 and the State of Mississippi was still looking good. After beating Auburn, 38-23, Mississippi State became the top team in the country in both polls. And after beating Texas A&M, 35-20, Ole Miss was 3rd in both polls.

Trailing 58-37 early in the fourth quarter, Baylor scored 24 unanswered points to beat TCU, 61-58. In other action, Duke beat Georgia Tech, 31-25, and Georgia stomped on Missouri, 34-0. Also, USC edged Arizona, 28-26, and Alabama squeaked by Arkansas, 14-13.

Week 8 saw Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom in Gainesville for the Missouri-Florida game. And what an awful game it was. Mizzou beat the Gators, 42-13. It was so bad that the Florida fans were chanting, “Fire Muschamp. Fire Muschamp.” It was so bad that Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley wrote that Florida’s performance smelled like “rotten milk and burnt hair poured into a dirty diaper and left in the sun for a month.”

In Morgantown, West Virginia handed Baylor its first loss. WVU beat the Bears, 41-27. Florida State survived Notre Dame, beating the Irish, 31-27. Also, Kansas State slipped by Oklahoma, 31-30, and Alabama clobbered Texas A&M, 59-0.

“Don’t say a word about tomorrow”

Buffalo fired coach Jeff Quinn, and SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced he was retiring at the end of June 2015.

Mississippi State, Florida State, Ole Miss and Alabama were the Top 4 teams in the country in the AP and Coaches polls. Oregon was 6th and 7th in the polls, and Ohio State was 12th and 13th. TCU was 10th in both polls.

Week 9 and Will Muschamp’s position at Florida was posted on Craigslist, with the restrictions that you can’t be a Georgia grad and you can’t have the last name of Zook. Meanwhile, former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said the Gators are “lacking in leadership on offense.”

Along with our neighbors Deb and Dieter Gum, Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom went to Florida Tech’s homecoming game. The Panthers beat Mississippi College, 44-9. I couldn’t help but call Mississippi College, “Lil Miss.”

LSU handed Ole Miss its first loss. The Tigers beat the Rebs, 10-7. Ohio State had a close call with Penn State. The Buckeyes beat the Nittany Lions, 31-24 in overtime. Out West, Utah beat USC, 24-21.

Three days later, the first College Football Playoff Rankings were released. Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn and Ole Miss, in that order, were the Top 4 teams in the country. Oregon was 5th, TCU was 7th and Ohio State was 16th.

Week 10 was called Knockout Round 1 as it was the first week that teams could start knocking each other out of playoff contention. Sure enough, Auburn beat Ole Miss, 35-31. Miss State survived, beating Arkansas, 17-10, and Florida State survived, beating Louisville, 42-31.

ESPN’s College GameDay was in Morgantown, West Virginia. In a donnybrook, TCU kicked a field goal as time expired to beat West Virginia, 31-30. In Jacksonville, at that cocktail party, Florida stunned Georgia, 38-20. Dawg fans began calling for Mark Richt’s head.

In State College, Pennsylvania, the Maryland captains refused to shake hands with the Penn State captains after the coin toss. The Terps went on to beat the Lions, 20-19. The following day, Maryland coach Randy Edsall apologized for the actions of his players. There were no apologies in Ann Arbor, as Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon resigned.

“Let’s just be glad we had some time together”

In other games, Arizona State beat Utah, 19-16 in overtime. UCLA downed Arizona, 17-7, and Temple surprised East Carolina, 20-10. And, just nine weeks after Texas A&M found its thrill on Kenny Hill, the Aggies lost their thrill on Kenny Hill. Hill was suspended from the team.

The Top 4 teams in the Playoff Rankings became Miss State, Florida State, Auburn and Oregon, in that order. Alabama was 5th, TCU 6th and Ohio State was 14th.

Week 11 and it was musical chairs as the teams competed for one of the four playoff spots. Texas A&M upset Auburn, 41-38, and Alabama got by LSU, 20-13 in overtime. Ohio State established its dominance in the Big Ten, as the Buckeyes beat Michigan State, 49-37.

TCU beat Kansas State, 41-20, and Arizona State knocked off Notre Dame, 55-31. Baylor squashed Oklahoma, 48-14.

After the dust settled, Miss State, Oregon, Florida State and TCU were the Top 4 in the Playoff Rankings. Alabama was 5th and Ohio State was 8th.

Week 12 and Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom were back in Gainesville for the South Carolina-Florida game. We were gluttons for punishment. Trailing 17-10, after Florida blew a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, South Carolina scored a touchdown with 0:12 left on the clock and tied the score at 17-17. The Gamecocks went on to win 23-20 in overtime.

Back at the Laurel Oak Inn, our mood became brighter as the Inn hosts, Peggy and Monta Burt, threw an informal dinner party for the guests. As we drank and ate, we all talked about who the next Florida coach would be. We also watched the Miss State-Alabama game on TV. The Crimson Tide won, 25-20.

In other big games, Wisconsin downed Nebraska, 59-24. The Badgers’ Melvin Gordon rushed for 408 yards. Georgia Tech beat Clemson, 28-6, while Virginia Tech knocked off Duke, 17-16. Arkansas got its first SEC win under Brett Bielema. The Razorbacks beat LSU, 17-0.

Northwestern surprised Notre Dame, 43-40, and Ohio State got by Minnesota, 31-24. In Miami, Florida State edged the Hurricanes, 30-26.

On Sunday, Will Muschamp was fired.

“For the good times”

When the weekend’s smoke had cleared, Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Miss State were the Top 4 teams in the Playoff Rankings. TCU was 5th and Ohio State was 6th.

Week 13 and it was rivalry week. Harvard and Yale met for the 131st time. Before a standing room only crowd in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard beat Yale, 31-24. Lafayette and Lehigh met for the 150th time. Before a sellout crowd in Yankee Stadium, Lafayette beat Lehigh, 27-7. In the 116th meeting between Stanford and California, the Cardinal beat the Golden Bears, 38-17.

In some other games, UCLA downed USC, 38-20, and Louisville edged Notre Dame, 31-28. In the Big Ten, Wisconsin got by Iowa, 26-24, while Minnesota downed Nebraska, 28-24. In Morgantown, Kansas State held off West Virginia, 26-20.

Just a week after Melvin Gordon rushed for 408 yards, Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine rushed for 427 yards in the Sooners crushing of Kansas.

And the Playoff Rankings said Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Miss State are the Top 4 teams. Again, TCU was 5th and Ohio state was 6th.

Week 14 saw a Turkey Week shakeup, as Ole Miss knocked off Miss State in the Egg Bowl. The Rebs beat the Bulldogs, 31-17. At the post-game presser, Miss State coach Dan Mullen blamed the loss on his defensive coordinator.

Marshall lost its first game of the season. Western Kentucky outlasted Marshall, beating the Herd 67-66 in overtime. Nebraska beat Iowa, 37-34 in overtime, but the next day Husker coach Bo Pelini was fired. Before leaving Lincoln, Pelini, in a profane-riddled rant, called Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst a cunt.

Ohio State beat rival Michigan, 42-28. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Buckeye quarterback J.T. Barrett broke his ankle. Cardale Jones replaced Barrett. Also in the Big Ten, Wisconsin beat Minnesota, 34-24.

Swamp Mama and Touchdown Tom went to Punta Gorda, Florida, for Thanksgiving. Traveling down to the southwest coast of Florida, Swamp Mama learned that Yee Haw Junction, Florida is so named because it used to be Jackass Crossing, Florida.

In the SEC, Alabama won the Iron Bowl, beating Auburn, 55-44. Missouri secured the SEC East title, beating Arkansas, 21-14, and LSU downed Texas A&M, 23-17. In a couple of ACC-SEC affairs, Florida State beat Florida, 24-19, and Georgia Tech surprised Georgia, 30-24 in overtime. Again, Dawg fans called for Mark Richt’s head.

In the West, Arizona beat Arizona State 42-35, and Stanford beat UCLA 31-10. Air Force downed Colorado State, 27-24. Colorado State coach Jim McElwain was surfacing as the leading candidate for the Florida job. Michigan fired Brady Hoke.

“But life goes on and this old world will keep on turning”

In the next to the last Playoff Ranking, the Top 4 teams were Alabama, Oregon, TCU and Florida State, in that order. Ohio State was 5th.

Week 15 was conference championship week. With the final Playoff Rankings coming out after the games, the week definitely had an edge to it.

Most of the title games were bores. Ohio State rolled over Wisconsin, 59-0, for the Big Ten title. Oregon blasted Arizona, 51-13 for the Pac-12 crown. Alabama tumbled Missouri, 42-13, to take the SEC title. Northern Illinois surpassed Bowling Green, 51-17, for the MAC crown.

In the only two close championship games, Florida State got by Georgia Tech, 37-35, for the ACC title, and Marshall edged Louisiana Tech, 26-23, for the C-USA crown. In the last of the seven conference title games, Boise State downed Fresno State, 28-14, for the MWC championship.

In a regular season game, UCF beat East Carolina, 32-30, on a Hail-Mary pass as time expired. And Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma, 38-35 in overtime.

The next day, the final Playoff Rankings were released – 1. Alabama, 2. Oregon, 3. Florida State, 4. Ohio State. Baylor was 5th and TCU was 6th. The Playoffs were set – Alabama vs. Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, and Oregon vs. Florida State in the Rose Bowl. The winners to meet in the championship game. The other bowl spots were filled as well.

Sure enough, Colorado State’s Jim McElwain was named the new coach at Florida. In a surprise, Oregon State’s Mike Riley was named the new coach at Nebraska.

Week 16 saw Navy beat Army for the 13th-straight year and the 16th time in the last 18 games. The Middies beat the Cadets, 17-10.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy. Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon came in second in the voting, followed by Alabama receiver Amari Cooper.

Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen was named the new coach at Oregon State, and Will Muschamp was named the new defensive coordinator at Auburn. Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman won the Broyles Award, given annually to college football’s best assistant coach.

“Let’s be glad we had some time to spend together”

Week 17 and Christmas was fast approaching. Pitt coach Paul Chryst was named the new coach at Wisconsin, while fired Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was named the head coach at Youngstown State. Meanwhile, Michigan was doing everything under the sun to get Jim Harbaugh.

West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck was named the Vice President of the NCAA. In the first of 38 bowl games, Louisiana-Lafayette beat Nevada, 16-3, in the New Orleans Bowl. While Jim McElwain was busy in Gainesville, hiring Miss State defensive coordinator Geoff Collins as the Gators new DC, his former team lost badly in the Las Vegas Bowl. Utah beat Colorado State, 45-10.

Meanwhile, TCU coach Gary Patterson was winning most of the Coach of the Year awards.

Week 18 saw Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo named head coach at Colorado State. It was the second consecutive time Colorado State chose a SEC offensive coordinator to be its head coach. The other one was Jim McElwain.

In the week’s first bowl game, a fight erupted at the end of the game after Memphis beat BYU, 55-48, in the Miami Beach Bowl. The fight was no small-time shoving match. It was a big-time, fist-throwing, bloody brawl.

While Michigan was still working hard to get Jim Harbaugh, Pitt named Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi its new coach. Yes, we were in the thick of bowl season and I was in the thick of eating my homemade Chex party mix, Karlene Tuttle’s bourbon balls and Deb Gum’s stollen. Great diet for watching bowl games.

Two quarterbacks were in the news. West Virginia announced that Clint Trickett would not play in its Liberty Bowl game against Texas A&M – too many concussions. And word broke that Florida’s Jeff Driskel would transfer to another school for his final season. Obviously, Jim McElwain told Driskel, “You’re not in my game plan. Take a hike.”

All-in-all, 13 more bowl games were played. And Harbaugh to Michigan was looking good.

Week 19 began with a bad day for the Big 12 – a very bad day. Three Big 12 teams – West Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas – lost their bowl games. The Sooners and the Longhorns were embarrassing – very embarrassing.

“I’ll get along, you’ll find another”

Speaking of bad, Texas A&M graduate assistant coach Michael Richardson was bad during the Aggies bowl game with West Virginia. Whenever momentum carried a WVU player onto the A&M sideline after a play, Richardson would haul off and hit the Mountaineer. At halftime, Aggie coach Kevin Sumlin sent Richardson packing, back to College Station. A day later, Sumlin fired Richardson.

Success at last in Ann Arbor – Michigan announced it landed Jim Harbaugh for a cool $5 million, plus various bonuses and incentives. Georgia’s Nick Chubb rushed for 266 yards as the Dawgs crushed Louisville, 37-14, in the Belk Bowl.

Meanwhile, the bowls were shaping up to be bad for the SEC West. The SEC division that put all seven of its teams into bowl games finished 2-5. TCU plastered Ole Miss, 42-3, in the Peach Bowl. Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace was a joke. That night – New Year’s Eve – Georgia Tech stunned Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl. The Yellow Jackets won, 49-34. Not sure who Dan Mullen blamed for this loss. Think it might have been his quarterback – Dak Prescott.

New Year’s Day was a big day for the Big Ten and another bad day for the SEC. Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon rushed for 251 yards, as the Badgers beat Auburn, 34-31, in the Outback Bowl. Then Michigan State put on a big 4th-quarter rally to beat Baylor, 42-41, in the Cotton Bowl.

Finally, Ohio State upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, 42-35. Nick Saban is now 0-3 in Sugar Bowls. In the Rose Bowl, Florida State showed us why the Seminoles should not have been in the playoffs. FSU was be-puddled by Oregon, 59-20.

In one of the most amazing finishes ever in a football game, Houston scored three touchdowns, capitalized on two successive onside kicks and made a two-point conversion all in the final 3:41 of the game to beat Pitt, 35-34, in the Armed Forces Bowl.

“Don’t say a word about tomorrow”

The week ended with a number of announcements. Jeff Driskel said he was transferring to Louisiana Tech. Texas A&M hired LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis to be the Aggies new DC. Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik was named defensive coordinator at North Carolina. Former Miami (Florida) coach Randy Shannon was named assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Florida.

And finally, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston said he was entering the NFL draft. I’m sure this announcement was followed by the folks in Tallahassee saying, “Don’t let the door knob hit you in the butt on the way out of town.”

Week 20 and we all know what happened. Ohio State won college football’s first playoff national championship. The Buckeyes beat Oregon, 42-20, as Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 246 yards.

Afterwards, folks began speculating on 2015, wondering what will become of all those Buckeye quarterbacks – Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones.

On a lesser note, Brian Schottenheimer was named the offensive coordinator at Georgia, and Manny Diaz was named the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State.

And so it came to an end.

“Don’t look so sad. I know it’s over.”

Looking back at the beginning, the forecasters were pretty spot-on this season. In the consensus of the various preseason Top 25 and Top 40 polls Florida State was 1st, Alabama 2nd, Oregon 3rd, Oklahoma 4th and Ohio State 5th. The only miss-call there was Oklahoma. The Sooners failed to live up to their billing.

Baylor was 8th. That’s pretty close to where the Bears finished. The only other big faux pa was TCU. The Frogs were a consensus 33rd at preseason. Phil Steele was the keenest on TCU. He had the Frogs rated 14th in his preseason poll. At the other end of the spectrum, USA Today ranked TCU 57th at preseason.

The pundits were spot-on in three of the conference forecasts. In the Big Ten, Ohio State and Wisconsin were picked to win their divisions, with the Buckeyes chosen to win it all. Check. In the MWC, Boise State and Fresno State were predicted to win their divisions, with the Broncos picked for the title. Check. And in the MAC, Northern Illinois and Bowling Green were picked to win their divisions, with NIU favored to take the crown. Check.

In five of the conferences, the forecasters were two-for-three. In the SEC, Alabama and Georgia were favored to win their divisions, with the Tide chosen to win it all. Georgia finished 2nd. Missouri, who won the East, was picked to finish 4th in its division. In the Pac-12, Oregon and UCLA were forecast to win their divisions, with the Ducks picked for the crown. Arizona, picked to finish 4th, won the South Division. UCLA was 2nd.

In the ACC, Florida State and Miami were picked to win their divisions, with the Noles favored to take the title. Miami finished near the bottom. Georgia Tech, who won the Coastal Division, was picked to finish 6th and next to last in its division. In the AAC, Cincinnati and UCF were equally favored to win the conference. The Bearcats and Knights tied for the conference title, along with Memphis (three-way tie). The Tigers had been picked to finish seventh. In C-USA, Marshall and UT San Antonio were favored to win their divisions, with Marshall chosen to take the championship. Louisiana Tech, picked to finish 4th, won the West Division. UTSA was 4th.

The forecasters were most off the mark in the Big 12 and the Sun Belt. In the Big 12, Oklahoma was the favorite to win, with Baylor being a strong contender. Baylor and TCU tied for the Big 12 crown. TCU was picked to finish 6th. Oklahoma wound up 4th. And finally, in the Sun Belt, Louisiana-Lafayette was the favorite. Georgia Southern, picked to finish 7th, won the Sun Belt. Louisiana-Lafayette finished 2nd.

And what can we expect next season? Well, I suspect we have plenty of time to talk about that come August. But I will say that in all of the “way too early” 2015 preseason polls that I have seen, Ohio State and TCU are the Top 2 teams in each of them. Stay tuned!

And to my friend Richard Nadolny, your answer is 210 days. Yes, 210 days until the next College Football Week, and 227 days until the first kickoff of 2015 – South Carolina vs. North Carolina.

It’s time to put my alter ego to bed for a much-needed nap – TT goes back to TC.

“Let’s just be glad we had some time together,
For the good times”

Yes, we had some good times!

Peace, my college football friends.

Touchdown Tom
January 19, 2015
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P. S. “For the Good Times” was written by Kris Kristofferson and made famous by Ray Price. Kristofferson began writing the song in 1968. He put it aside, picked it back up two years later and finished it in 1970. That was the year Price recorded the song. It went to No. 1 on all the U.S. country music charts and was named the “Song of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music. It crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming Price’s only release to hit the Top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100. “For the Good Times” was on the Hot 100 for 24 weeks, throughout the fall of 1970 and winter of 1971. Perry Como recorded the song in 1973. Como’s version reached No. 7 in the U.K. on the British Pop Chart. It is one of the most covered songs in American music history. More than 30 singers have recorded “For the Good Times.”


Quotes of the Week

“He promised us that after we beat Bama in the locker room that if we won the next one, he’d get a tattoo,” Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman, on his coach Urban Meyer.

“We have core values, and honesty is one of them, so he better not be lying,” Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, on Urban Meyer promising to get a tattoo if the team beat Oregon.

“We’ll be very good,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, when asked about the Buckeyes next year.

“It was a disappointing season for all of us, some dark days. But that’s history now and away we go. I think everybody knows now that I’ve still got four or five more years in me,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . LSU has hired Alabama assistant coach Kevin Steele as its new defensive coordinator…. Virginia Tech and Rutgers have agreed to a home-and-home series to be played in 2023 and 2024…. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota announced he will enter the NFL draft.

Princeton will play its spring game on March 21 at Kincho Stadium in Osaka, Japan, against the Kwansei Gakuin University Fighters. The Fighters are Japan’s current national college football champions…. Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is the front-runner to become the San Francisco 49ers OC.

And finally, notables from the world of football who departed us during the past football season included Goose Gonsoulin, 76 (original Denver Bronco player); Jimmy Feix, 83 (former Western Kentucky coach); Harley Clark, 78 (creator of the “Hook ’em Horns” hand signal); Tommy Lewis, 83 (former Alabama football player), and Jack Cristil, 88 (voice of the Mississippi State Bulldogs).

Also, Clay Stapleton, 93 (former Iowa State football coach); John “Mr. Mizzou” Kadlec, 86 (Missouri sports icon); Marvin “Whitey” Helling, 91 (former North Dakota football coach); Jim Swink, 78 (former TCU running back); Fuzzy Thurston, 80 (guard for the Green Bay Packers); Allie Sherman, 91 (former New York Giants coach), and Jethro Pugh, 70 (of the Dallas Cowboys).

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but in the waning days of January as college football fans began to dream about the next season, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1945 was “Don’t Fence Me In” by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters

…65 years ago this week in 1950 was “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” by The Andrews Sisters

…60 years ago this week in 1955 was “Let Me Go, Lover” by Joan Weber

…55 years ago this week in 1960 was “Running Bear” by Johnny Preston

…50 years ago this week in 1965 was “Downtown” by Petula Clark

…45 years ago this week in 1970 was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” by B.J. Thomas

…40 years ago this week in 1975 was “Mandy” by Barry Manilow

…35 years ago this week in 1980 was “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson

…30 years ago this week in 1985 was “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner

…25 years ago this week in 1990 was “How Am I Supposed to Live without You” by Michael Bolton


Not directly college football related, but notables from other sports who left us during this past football season included Pete Van Wieren, 69 (Atlanta Braves broadcaster); Jerry Lumpe, 81 (major league baseball player), and Jack Kraft, 93 (Villanova basketball coach).

Also, Carol Vadnais, 68 (NHL player); Marvin Barnes, 62 (college and NBA basketball player); Bob Suter, 57 (member of 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team);
Wally Hergesheimer, 87 (NHL player); Oscar Taveras, 22 (St. Louis Cardinals outfielder); Brad Halsey, 33 (major league pitcher), and Ernie Vandeweghe, 86, (New York Knicks player).

Also, Alvin Dark, 92 (New York Giants shortstop and MLB manager); Ray Sadecki, 73 (major league pitcher); Jean Beliveau, 83 (NHL player); Stuart Scott, 49 (ESPN sportscaster); Stu Miller, 87 (major league pitcher); J.P. Parise, 73 (NHL player), and Roy Tarpley, 50 (NBA player).


Not directly college football related, but notables from the world of entertainment who passed away during the 2014 football season included Robin Williams, 63 (comedian and actor); Ed Nelson, 85 (actor); Lauren Bacall, 89 (actress); Don Pardo, 96 (“SNL” announcer); Richard Attenborough, 90 (actor and director); Joan Rivers, 81 (comedian); Bob Crewe, 83 (songwriter), and George Hamilton IV, 77 (singer).

Also, Polly Bergen, 84 (actress and singer); Don Keefer, 98 (actor); Paul Revere, 76 (of Paul Revere & the Raiders); Jan Hooks, 57 (comedy actress); Tim Hauser, 72 (singer with the Manhattan Transfer); Paul Craft, 76 (country songwriter); Jack Bruce, 71 (guitarist for Cream); Marcia Strassman, 66 (actress), and Tom Magliozzi, 77 (“Car Talk” co-host).

Also, Acker Bilk, 85 (clarinetist, “Stranger on the Shore”); Carol Ann Susi, 62 (unseen voice on “The Big Bang Theory”); Jimmy Ruffin, 78 (soul singer); Mike Nichols, 83 (movie and stage director); Bobby Keys, 70 (rock ’n’ roll saxophonist); Ian McLagan, 69 (keyboardist for the rock band Faces); Mary Ann Mobley, 77 (former Miss America), and Virna Lisi, 78 (movie actress).

Also, Joe Cocker, 70 (singer); Edward Herrmann, 71 (actor); Luise Rainer, 104 (actress); Donna Douglas, 82 (Elly May on “The Beverly Hillbillies”); Little Jimmy Dickens, 94 (country singer); Bess Myerson, 90 (Miss America, TV personality and public affairs official); Rod Taylor, 84 (actor), and Anita Ekberg, 83 (actress).


And finally, not directly college football related, but well-known folks from other walks of life who passed on during the 2013 football season included James Brady, 73 (Reagan White House press secretary); Jim Jeffords, 80 (former senator from Vermont), and Steven Nagel, 67 (astronaut).

Also, Stan Goldberg, 82 (Archie comics artist); Bruce Morton, 83, (CBS news reporter); Jean-Claude Duvalier, 63 (former president of Haiti); Oscar de la Renta, 82 (fashion designer); Ben Bradlee, 93 (Washington Post editor); Frank Mankiewicz, 90 (political strategist), and Thomas Menino, 71 (Boston mayor).

Also, Ben Aycrigg, 88 (Orlando TV news anchor); P.D. James, 94 (author of the Adam Dalgliesh series of mysteries); Richard Hottelet, 97 (CBS news reporter); Mario Cuomo, 82 (former governor of New York), and Edward Brooke, 95 (former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts).